Locomotive turn-table.



Patented Mar. l2, I901.

-T. F. MASON.

LOCOMOTIVE TURN TABLE.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1900 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

{No Model) 51w uenfoz IMO/l co Pnc oLimo \VASHINGTON.

5 warns UNITED STATES PATENT j OFFICE.

THOMAS F. MASON, OF VARNER, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN BOST,OF SAME PLACE.

LOCOMOTIVE TU RN-TAB LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,844, dated March12, 1901.

Application filed August 16, 1900- Sarial No. 27,061. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, THOMAS F. MASON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Varner, in the county of Ripley and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotive Turn-Tables;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in locomotive turn-tables, and hasfor its object, primarily, to provide a turn-table which will beautomatically operated by the weight of the locomotive thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a turn-table of thischaracter having a system of gearing for automatically releasing thelatch and swinging the turn-table, combined with a retracting device forautomatically resetting the gearing for further operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a safety devicefor preventing the retraction of the latch mechanism and release of theturn-table until the gearing is primarily operated by the locomotive.

With these and other minor objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly setforth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of alocomotive turn-table embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 areelevational views looking toward opposite sides of the turn-table andshowing the same in its normal position. Fig. 4 is a verticallongitudinal section on line t 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a verticaltransverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view similar toFig. 4, showing the movable bridge or rail sections depressed and thesafety-catch device retracted. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views showing,respectively, the position of the safety-latchcontrolling mechanism whenthe latch is retracted and projected.

several views, the numeral 1 designates a base of any preferredconstruction and which may form the bottom of a pit of the usual type or:be mounted in any preferred way, and 2 a turn-table are appliedantifriction-balls 9,

running in grooves therein to adapt the turntable to move with freedom.The turn-table is also provided on its under side with ballbearingrollers 10, which traverse the base and hold the turn-tableproperlysupported. From opposite sides of theturn-table rise twostandards or pillars 11, upon which is mounted a bridge 12, whichsupports a platform 13, and

in the turn-table is mounted a shaft 14, carrying at one end a spurtraction-wheel 15, which meshes with a circular rack 16, ar-

ranged upon the base concentric with the post 5. The opposite end ofthis shaft carries a pinion 17, which receives motion from a trainofgears 18, 19, and 20, carried by shafts 21 and 22, journaled inball-bearing boxes 23 in a frame 24, rising from the turn-table on oneside of the bridge 12.

To the shaft 22 of the upper gear-wheel 20 is fixed an oscillatingcrank-arm 24, from which projects a lateral wrist-pin or spindle 25,located above the bridge 12. Upon this pin or arm is pivotally mounted,by means of straps 26, the inner end of one of two cooperating movablebridge or rail sections 27 and 28, united by hinges or pivots 29 attheir inner ends and forming two inclined planes carrying track-rails 30for the locomotive to run upon. The inner ends of these bridgesectionsare normally held elevated, and their outer ends rest upon rollers 31,mounted upon bearing-plates 32 at the outer ends of the fixed bridge 12,which plates project above the rollers to form stops to hold the saidouter ends of the movable bridge-sections from lateral play. A post orstandard 33 rises from the platform 13 on the opposite side of thebridge --12 from the gearing-frame 24, and carries at its upper end apulley 34, over which passes a cord, wire, or cable 35, secured at oneend to a link connected to the spindle 25, and at the other end to acounterbalancing-weight 36, the function of which is to restore theparts to their normal position upon the operation of the turn-table.

The turn-table is held from movement until operated by a latch 37,mounted to slide in a keeper 38, secured to one side of the fixed bridge12, adjacentto the post 33, and this latch is provided with arearwardly-projecting arm 39, which is acted upon by a spring 40,arranged in a casing 41, to normally hold the latch projected. The latchis also provided with an upwardly-extending lug 42, to which isconnected the forward end of a rod 43, the rear end of which isconnected to a crank-pin 44 upon a ratchet wheel or disk 45, carried bya shaft 46, mounted in a ball-bearin g bracket or bearing-box 47 u ponsaid bridge 12. The ratchet-wheel is operated to retract the latch bydogs 48, mounted upon a bearingplate 49, secured to the movable inclinedbridge-section 27, said plate being provided with stop-shoulders to holdthe dogs in engaging position and prevent rearward movement thereof.

The operation of the parts thus far described is as follows: Assumingthat the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with theinclined bridge-section 27 in line with the track, the locomotive isrunupon said bridgesection 27, and the inner ends of the twobridge-sections 27 and 28 are gradually depressed by the weight thereofuntil lowered to a horizontal position, when the locomotive may run fromone onto the other. When the bridge-sections are part-way lowered--saydepressed one-fourth or one-third of the distance-the dogs 48 are causedto engage the ratchet-wheel 45 and partially rotate said wheel in onedirection, (to the left in Fig. 3,) and thereby draw the rod 43rearwardly to retract the latch against the tension of its spring. Uponthe retraction of the latch the further movement of said bridge-sectionscauses the spindle 25 to be also depressed and to turn the crank-arm 24,thereby communicating motion to the train of gears which romm the shaft14 and cause the traction-wheel 15 to run upon the rack 16 and turn theturntable one-half revolution, so as to reverse the position of the twoinclined bridge-sections 27 and 28 and turn the locomotive around. Thelocomotive may thereupon run off the bridgesection 28 upon the track,and when said bridgesections are relieved of the weight thereof theweight 36 elevates the free ends of the same and communicates motion torotate the gearing in the reverse direction and restore the turn-tableto its original position. The latch upon being released by thedisengagement of the dogs from the ratchet-wheel again engages thekeeper 4 and locks the turn-table against rotation. Figs. 3 and 4 of thedrawings necessarily show the sections 27 and 28 inclined to a greaterextent than required in order to more clearly disclose the structure ofthe parts thereunder; but it will be understood that in practice only aslight inclination of said sections'is necessary to secure the effectiveoperation of the apparatus. The locomotive may be run upon the section27 at ordinary yard speed, which will enable it, withits tender, to passfully on said section before the sections have been depressed to theextent sufficient to operate the latch. The rail-sections may, however,be so constructed as to move only when the full weight of the locomotiveand tender rests upon the section 27, although a preliminary downwardmovement of the sections may take place without liability of accident,provided such movement is insufficient to effect the operation of thelatch mechanism until the locomotive and its tender occupy the saidsection 27. When the locomotive is fully run upon the inclined section27, it is instantly brought to a stop by applying the brakes, and as thedepression of the rail-sections is then quickly effected all liabilityof a backward movement is avoided. If, however, the inclined sectionsshould be tardy in action, the engineer, having complete control of thelocomotive, may readily prevent any tendency of the same to runbackward.

In order to prevent retraction of the latch and release of theturn-table before the gearing .is primarily operated, so as to insuresafety, I provide mechanism consisting of a pivoted bell-crank lever 51,located adjacent to the post 33 and having one of its arms connected byjointed links 52 and 53 to the spindle 25. To the opposite arm of thebell-crank lever is attached a guide-plate 54, between which and the arma pin 55 extends and is adapted to be engaged by the notched or hookedfree end 56 of a locking-lever 57. This lever is connected at itsopposite or outer end to the crank-pin 44 of the ratchet-wheel, and itsfree end is normally held down by a spring 58. When the turn-table islocked, the bellcrank lever is drawn upon to hold the locking-pin 55into position to engage the notched end of the lever 57, as shown inFig. 8; but when the inclined bridge-sections 27 and 28 are depressedthe links 52 and 53 are forced downward and the pin 55 moved rearwardlyand downwardly, leaving the notched end of the lever 57 free to slideinwardly over the same upon the movement thereof by the dogs engagingand rotating the ratchet-wheel, as shown in Fig. 8.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of theinvention will be clearly understood without a more extended descriptionand the advantages thereof will be obvious. Changes in the form,proportion, and details of construction of the several parts of theturn-ta- IIO ble may of course be made within the scope of the inventionwithout departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what is claimed, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-' 1. In a turn-table, thecombination of two inclined rail or bridge sections, gearing operated bythe depression of said sections to operate the turn-table, a latchdevice for securing the turn-table, and means for automaticallyretracting said latch device upon the depressions of thebridge-sections, substantially as set forth.

2. In a turn-table, the combination of a base carrying a rack, aturn-table, a shaft upon the turn-table carrying a traction-wheelmeshing with the rack, a train of gears for operating said shaft, andinclined rail or bridge sections adapted when depressed to impart motionto said train of gears, substantially as set forth.

3. In a turn-table, the combination of depressible rail-sections,operating means, and a latch device automatically retracted by thedepression of said rail-sections to release the turntable, substantiallyas set forth.

4:. In a turn-table, the combination of inclined pivoted bridge or railsections, operating means, a latch retracted by the depression of saidrail-sections, and a safety device to prevent retraction of the latchbefore said sections are depressed to the desired extent, substantiallyas set forth.

5. In a turn-table, the combination of piv- Oled inclined rail-sections,a spring-actuated latch, a ratchet-wheel and connections to projeet thelatch, and dogs on one of said sections to actuate the ratchet-wheel,substantially as set forth.

6. In a turn-table, the combination of pivoted inclined rail or bridgesections, operating means, aspring-actuated latch, a ratchetwheel forretracting the latch, dogs for operating the ratchet-wheel to retractthe latch, a locking-lever for preventing movement of the ratchet-wheelbefore the bridge-sections are depressed to the desired extent, andlock-.

ing means moved into and out of engagement with the lever by themovements of the bridgesections, substantially as set forth.

7. In a turn-table, the combination of depressible rail-sections,operating means, and a latch device automatically retracted when thelocomotive runs upon a rail-section to release the turn-table,substantially as set forth.

8. In a turn-table, the combination of depressible rail-sections,operating means, an automatically retracted, spring projected latch, anda safety device operated by the rise and fall of said rail-sections toengage and release the latch, substantially as set forth.

9. A turn-table comprising movable railsections, operating mechanism,means for locking and releasing the turn-table, and retractingmechanism, which elements are entirely automatic in character andoperated solely by the presence or absence of the weight of thelocomotive, substantially as set forth. 7

10. In a turntable, the combination of a base, a rack thereon, a shaftupon the turntable carrying a gear meshing with the rack, a train ofgears for operating said shaft, depressible rail-sections for impartingmotion to said train of gears, automatic means for locking and releasingthe turn-table, and retracting means for restoring the turn-table andparts to their normal positions, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS F. MASON.

Witnesses:

JOHN RoPER, GEORG WARING.

